Metallic grave vault



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UNITED srrEs PATENT orEi-CE.

CARL A. ALBRECHT, OF COLUMBUS, HIO.

METALLIC GRAVE VAUL'I.

Application led December 13, 1921. Serial No.'522,075.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. LBRnoH'r, a citizen oi' the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State ot Ohio, have invented certain new and usei'ul Improvements in Metallic Grave Vaults, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in metallic grave vaults, particularly to vaults ot' the air seal variety of the type comprising a substantially fiat bottomed base, and an open bottomed housing arranged to be positioned over said base and cover, a casket resting thereon and` wherein the housing is of substantially water tight construction to prevent the arising of water within the vault, utter interment, into contact with the casket.

The primary object of the present invention resides inthe provision ot a vault ot this type wherein improved features of construction are embodied for the purpose of enabling the vault to be readily and economically manufactured, to include the desirable 35 mechanical features of more expensive construction and to present a conventional appearance.

Another object of the invention resides in constructingthe base ofthe vault to compriseV a substantially pan shaped body including a flat bottomA havingV upstanding marginal side walls and an open top, and wherein is placed and secured a plurality of casket rests, which are Jformed to extend entirely across said bottom in a transverse direction, with the upper sur-faces thereof disposed in substantially the same plane as the upper edges of the side walls and wherein the rests are further formed to include transversely spaced vertical sides having` their lower edges disposed to'rest directly upon the bottom of the base, whereby through the medium of this construction a substantial and durable base will beprovided capable of supporting a casketY at a relatively elevated position thereoverr'and at the same time permitting of its economical manufacturec A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a grave vault of this type wherein the open bottomed housing thereof is so constructed that its top and longitudinally extending A sides will be formed Jrom a single sheet of sheet metal of standard proportions and to which are se'- cured by welding or otherwise the separate ends ot the. housing, the corners of the vention, reference is to be had tothe following description and to the accompanying sheet of drawing, in which similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding `parts throughoutk the several .views thereof. y

ln said drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view ot agrave vault constructed in accordance with the present invention, the base said vault being shown in relatively. spaced relation to set forth more particularly the construction of the base, i

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectionalV view taken through the vault,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken through one corner of the vault and disclosing the locking means for securing the .base angl housing members of the vault together, an

and housing oi"y Figure e is a horizontal sectional view, the' plan of which being indicated by the line ifl of Figure 3. A

Referring more` particularly `to the details ot the Vinvention the letter A designates my improved vault in its entirety. This vault consists generally of a. base B and a separable housing- C arranged to lit over said base so as to enoaseY within the vault a casket D, which latter Vis arranged to rest upon the base in the usual manner and generally `situated within the housing. This housing is ot' air tight construction and by reason of from a single blank of material to produce a :fiat ybottom l, having integral upstanding susV 'the pocketing of air therein, water will be Y prevented from arising above a' predeterwalls Q'formed at the 'marginsthereot The adjoining edges of the'walls 2 may beunited by welding` or otherwise to produce a rigid structure. Extending transversely across he bottoni 1 and disposed at longitudinally spaced intervals is a plurality of casket rests 3 arranged, as shown in Figure 2, to receive and support the casket D. rlhese rests'are each formed from a single blank of material, and include dat top surfaces 4t and downwardly extending integral sides or wings 5. These rests may be secured within the base by positive fastening elements or by resorting to welding. It will be observed that the surfaces et terminate on a plane substantially iiush with. the upper edges ct the walls 2 and that the said rests extend entirely across the 'full width ot th@ base B. This is done tor the purpose 'ot generally strengthening the base and to impart a. finished appearance to the base. ln this instance the bottom 1 and the upper surfaces d oi" the rests 3 are formed with registering openings 6, and the surfaces et are provided vwith cap pieces T also formed with openings registering with the openings 6. Head bolts 8 are arranged to pass through these registering openings andhave their upper ends threaded for the reception ot' binding devices` 9 which upon being tightened will serve to maintain the cap pieces in assembled relationship with the rests 3 and also to securely retain the said rests in their operative and applied positions within the base Without resorting to the welding process above mentioned. By the inclusion of the cap pieces 7 the effective heightr of the base Bl is sufficiently elevated so that the casket D deposited thereon will be above the level of water which will be permitted to accumulate within the vault and at the same time to permit this objectto be attained in a very economica-l manner. Adjacent to the longitudinal ends of the rests 3, the latter are provided with transversely extending pins 10, which are arranged il`or cooperation with the inner upturned ends -11 provided upon a plurality ot handles l2. These handles are generally ot bail shaped formation and are slidably re ceived within openings formed in the longitudinal walls 2, so as to be extended when needed and out oi? the way when the vault is not in use. The pins 10 serve to limit the outward sliding movement or' the handles and enable the rests 3 together wth the walls 2 to be employed in supporting the weight of the vault.

The housing C istormed generally from steel sheet plate otstandard dimensions now ordinarily furnished by sheet metal manufacturers. 1n the Jformation of the housing l employ a large size sheet metal plate which is intermediately curved to produce the top 13 of the housing and hentdownwardly to produce longitudinally extending, transversely spaced vertical sides 14 which are of course integral with the top 13. The sides 14 in the .top 13 are united by means oi the vertically disposed end walls 15, which are welded preferably to the adjoining edge portions of the top and side walls. It will thus he seen that the housing is formed essentially from but three readily shaped and termed sections of sheet metal. To t'urther reiniorce the structure, as shown in Figures 3` and d, there is provided within the housing corner reint'orcements 16, which are in the nature ot cleatsor brackets and are rigidly secured to the end walls 15 and the side walls 14 ot the housing. These brackets or trusses, as they may be termed, not only render the construction ot' the housing rigid but are also employed in the locking of the housing in an applied position upon the base.

To e-l'ert this object the base .l in this instance has its corners provided with casi'ngs 17 which are suitably secured to the base and :ire toi-ined to include internal latch chambers 1S and reduced upper ends 19 which 'permit the trusses 16 to rest directly, as shown in Figure 3, upon the upper edges ot' the side walls 2, the said trusses thereby limiting the downward movement ot the housing C. The caslngs 17 are provided with gra *ity operater'l latches 20, which are pivoted as at 21 in the chambers 18 and included nose extremities 22, which project through slots 23 providedin the ends 19 and are arranged to overlie the upper surfaces of the trusses 16, the ends of said latches being `Weighted as at 24. to maintain the extremities 22 in a projected or locking position with relation to the trusses 16. By this construction it will he seen that when the housing is lowered the trusses 16 will first force the latches 2O inwardly to permit the said trusses to rest directly upon the upper edges ot the walls 2. Nhen in thisposition the latches will gravitate to their locking positions, overlying the said trusses so that the housing will he locked 4in lconnection with the lease. It will he apparent that it the housing were lifted the y-pressi'ue uponthe latches would result in tightly Jforcing the weighted extremities 24: thereof into engage ment with the interior walls ol the. casing 17. preventing oscillation-on the part ofthe latches, thus providing a secure, automatic and positively operating construction. To release the latches the bot-toni 1 is provided with slots 25 which afford access to the latches 20 to permit of their retraction;

In viewof the foregoingA description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawing. it will loe apparent that the present invention provides a grave vault which will fbe of substantial, durable and practical construction and which by reason of its simple construction can be produced at a cost considerably below that Aof other vaults of a similar nature. While I have secured economy in manufacture of this particular tvpe of vault, yet the construct-ion auy provided admits of a conventional appearance together with all necessary strength of construction.

What is claimed is:

l. In a. metallic grave vault, a base comprising a substantially pan shaped body including a bottom having upstanding marginal side Walls and an open top, and a plurality of casket rests disposed within and secured to said body, said rests being situated to extend entirely across said bottom with the upper surfaces thereof substantially in registration with the upper edges of said side walls.

In a metallic grave vault, a base coinprising a substantially pan shaped body inv cluding a bottom having integral upstanding walls around the margins thereof, and4 transversely extending casket rests disposed within said body and extending entirely across the latter, each of said rests being formed to include a substantially flat top, and integral downwardly extending side wings depending from said top into engagement with the bottom of the base.

3. In a metallic grave vault, a base comprising a substantially pan shaped body including a bottom having upstanding marginal side walls, casket rests of inverted U shaped formation extending Vtransversely across said bottom between the side walls thereof, casket elevating members removably positioned upon the upper surfaces of said rests, a fastening device passing through said members and said bottom for securing said rests to said bottom.

4. In a metallic grave vault, a base comprising a substantially pan shaped body including a bottom having integral upstanding walls around the margins thereof, transversely extending longitudinally spaced Vcasket rests disposed within said body and extending entirely across the latter between said side walls, pins projecting transversely from the ends of said rests, and a plurality of slidable handles arranged to straddle the ends of said rests and having upwardly bent ends disposed for engagement with .said pins for the purpose speciiied. y

5. In a metallic grave vault, a base including a pan shaped body comprising a bottom having upstanding side walls, locking devices disposed inthe corners of said base adjacent to said side walls, a housing arranged to fit down upon said base, said housing including vertically disposed walls, and rei uforcing devices uniting the walls of said housing and cooperative with said locking devices to retain said housing and base in secured relationship. i

Ingtestimony whereof I affix my signature.

CARL A. ALBREGI-IT. 

